Mobile tool supporting apparatus



Allg. 18, 1954 T. c. wlLKlNsoN 3,145,031-

MoBILE Topr. SUPPORTING APPARATUS Filed Peb. 17, 1961 la 2O FIYG- 2 2| 2o |80 THOMAS C. WILKINSON ATTOR NEY rUnited States lPatent MBILE T0111. SUPPURTING APPARATUS Thomas Cari Williamson, 713 Bind Park Road, Birmingham, Aia. Filed Feb. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 90,017 1 Claim. (Ci. 28th-47.35)

This invention relates to mobile tool supporting apparatus and more particularly to mobile tool supporting7 apparatus for efficiently supporting handled type garden implements.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel mobile tool supporting apparatus, of simple and inexpensive construction, for use primarily in supporting handled type garden implements and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved mobile tool supporting apparatus for use in supporting a plurality of tools, such as handled type garden implements in upstanding side-by-side relation thus facilitating handling a large number of such implements with a minimum of effort.

A more specic object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved mobile supporting apparatus including a peripherally closed tool supporting panel for supporting handled type garden implements on opposed surfaces thereof so that a plurality of such tools may be easily transported from one position to another the apparatus also serving as a highly efficient yet relatively compact storage medium.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like character references refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. l is a perspective View of my mobile tool supporting apparatus indicating a manner of use thereof;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of my invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational View of my invention with certain portions thereof indicated by dotted line configuration; and

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of my invention.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that my novel mobile tool supporting apparatus, designated in its entirey by the reference numeral includes a substantially rectangular horizontally disposed frame or base 11. This base or frame 11 may be constructed of any suitable rigid material such as wood, metal or the like and it will be seen that the frame 11 is provided with a pair `of laterally spaced apart front upstanding posts 12 rigidly secured to the base in upstanding relation thereto and a pair of rear spaced apart upstanding posts 13 longitudinally spaced from the front posts 12. The lower terminal portions of the front and rear posts 12 and 13 on one side of the apparatus are provided with a pair of ground engaging wheels 14 while the lower terminal portions of front and rear posts 13 and on the other side of the apparatus are provided with ground engaging wheels 1S which comprise a pair of casters. The fore and aft ground engaging wheels permit ready mobility of the tool apparatus 10, the casters 15 facilitating guiding of the apparatus.

The mobile tool supporting apparatus 1t) also includes a peripherally closed panel structure 16 which, as best seen in FIG. l, is of substantially rectangular configuration and includes a front wall portion 17 and a rear wall portion 18 spaced longitudinally therefrom by side walls 19. The peripherally closed panel structure 16 is preferably formed of a suitable wood material although other rigid material such as metal may be used. It will be noted that the front wall portion 17, rear wall portion 18 and side walls 19 of the panel structure are rigidly secured to the upstanding posts 12 and 13 and each of these wall portions is spaced vertically above the frame 11 to thereby "Shibil Patented Aug. i8, 19154 ICC define an aperture or space Zf therebelow, the function of which will be hereinafter described.

It will also be noted that the front wall and rear wall of the panel structure are each positioned inwardly from the corresponding marginal portion of the frame 11 so that each of the front and rear wall portions 17 and 18 cooperate with the frame to define tool supporting ledges 17a and 1de respectively. Similarly the opposed side walls 19 are also spaced inwardly from their respective associated marginal portions of the frame 11 and define therewith tool supporting ledges 19a. It, therefore, will be seen that the ledges 17a, 18a and 19a actually define a continuous peripheral ledge.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 it will be seen that ledge 17a is provided with an upstanding flange 1711, ledge 18a is provided with an upstanding Harige 18h and ledges 19a are provided with upstanding flanges 1%.

The outermost surfaces of each of the wall portions of the panel structure 16 are provided with channel shaped tool receiving members Zit medially located with respect to the yupper and lower surfaces of its associated wall portion. These channel shaped members 2d include a substantially fiat vertically disposed web portion 2da having opposed flanges '/Ztib, as best seen in FIG. 2.. Means are also provided for releasably retaining handled type tools such as garden implements and this releasable retaining means 21 is comprised of a pair of spaced apart blocks or lugs 22 having a latch bar 23, this bar being pivotally secured thereto by means of a pivot pin 24. It will be noted that while one of the lugs 22 pivotally carries latch bar Z3, the other of the lugs is suitably recessed to permit the bar to be limited in its downward movement.

It will be seen that handled type garden implements may be positioned with the tool end disposed on one of the ledges so that the handle portion of the implement may be received between one of the tool handle retaining means Z1 as is clearly shown in FIG. l. The latch bar Z3 will retain the tools in upstanding relation along the panel structure 16 and any tool may he selectively removed by merely pivoting the latch bar 23. The tool is securely held in place by the tool handle retaining means and the fianged ledges 17a, 13a and 19a respectively.

Means are also provided on the inner surfaces of the opposed side walls 19 for retaining the handle portions of handled-type tools. This means includes a plurality of aligned channels 25 along each of the side walls. It will be noted that each of the channel structures Z5 is comprised of an elongate substantially flat element 26 rigidly engaging a plurality of substantially parallel spaced apart tool handle separator elements 27. The separator elements 27 cooperate with one of the elongate substantially flat elements 22.6 to define a plurality of tool handle recess or channels 23 as best seen in FIG. 2. The tool handle recesses 28 will accommodate in socket fashion a plurality of handles of tools such as garden rakes, hoes, brooms and the like in upstanding side-by-side relation as best seen in FIG. 1.

In order to facilitate guiding of the mobile tool apparatus 1li the invention also includes a guide handle structure Z9 of generally U-shaped configuration. This guide handle structure 29 includes a substantially straight transverse portion having a pair of legs 31 rigidly attached to opposite ends thereof. Legs 31 are connected to lugs 32 for pivotal movement relative thereto by pivot pins 33 so that the handle structure 29 may pivot about a substanitally horizontal transverse axis for a collapsed inoperative positon :as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 to erect operative position as shown in FIG. 1. Vertical swinging movement of the handle 29 to an erect operative position, as illustrated in FIG. l, is limited by means of a mechanical stop 34.

In use, a plurality of tools are removably supported upon my rnobile tool supporting apparatus in the manner indicated in FiG. 1. it will be noted therein that garden implements having elongate handles such as spades, shovels, forks and the like can be positioned with the implements being positioned upon one of the ledges 17a, 18a, or 19a and with the handle portion being releasably retained by the tool handle retaining means 21. These long handled tools may be arranged in upstanding sideby-side relation completely around the peripherally closed panel structure 16 and a plurality of handled-type tools may also be positioned within the Itool handle recesses 28 on the inner surfaces of side wall 19. The smaller tools such as shears, clippers, picks, mattocks and the like may be positioned within the channel-shaped tool receiving members 20, it being noted that a pair of such channelshaped tool receiving members are disposed below and laterally of the tool handle retaining means 21. Thus, the channel-shaped tool receiving members also serve as positioning members for the long handled tools. With the tools so arranged and positioned upon the tool supporting apparatus, the apparatus may be stored in a garage, basement or any convenient place for storing the tools and when it is desirable for a user to use the tools it is merely necessary for the entire apparatus to be pushed to the place where the tools are to be used.

In gardening, lawn maintenance work and the like, various kinds of tools are necessary and the user does not always remember to carry all the necessary tools. This requires numerous trips to the particular place where these tools are storedor necessitates manually attempting to carry several of such long-handled tools at one time. With my novel tool supporting apparatus the tools may be easily moved from one place to another and the tool supporting apparatus itself actually constitutes a storage medium of relatively small compass. The apertures defined by the vertically spaced front and rear side walls permit the base 11 to be cleaned by sweeping and the caster Wheels facilitate the guiding of the tool apparatus.

Thus, it will be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided a novel tool supporting apparatus which not only permits ready transport of various tools such as handled garden implements and the like and also serves as a storage medium of relatively small compass. It will be noted from the preceding paragraphs that by utilizing a peripherally closed panel structure a relatively large number of such tools may be arranged upon opposed surfaces of the panel structure, thus allowing the tools to be arranged in side-by-side upstanding relationship in a rather compact manner but permitting ready access to the tools.

It will, therefore, be seen that I have provided a novel tool supporting apparatus which is not only simple and of inexpensive construction, but which functions in a Lil more efficient manner than any heretofore known comparable devices.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, arrangement, details, and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

A mobile tool supporting apparatus for use in supporting handled tools such as garden implements and the like, said mobile tool supporting apparatus comprising,

a substantially at rectangular frame structure having fore and aft pairs of ground engaging wheel means, one of said pairs comprising casters, said frame structure having upstanding peripheral anges atixed thereto,

an open top peripherally closed rectangular tool supporting panel structure mounted on said frame structure in vertically extending relation therewith and including spaced-apart front, rear and opposed side walls, each having its lower edge spaced above said frame structure to thereby define an opening between the upper surface of the frame structure and the lower peripheral edges of said walls,

each of said walls being positioned inwardly of its associated marginal portion of said frame structure and cooperating therewith to deiine a marginal toolsupporting ledge,

the outer surfaces of said walls each having a plurality of tool-handle retaining and positioning members iixedly connected to opposed surfaces thereof for engaging handle portions of handled type implements and cooperating with said tool-supporting ledge for positioning and releasably retaining a plurality of tools in upstanding side-by-side relation on the ledge, each of said retaining and positioning members including a latch element pivotally mounted on its associated wall for pivotal movement between locked and unlocked positions, the respective inner sur-faces and said outer surfaces of said walls also having a plurality of channel-shaped tool receiving members thereon,

and a guide handle structure pivotally connected with said panel structure and being shiftable between erect operative and collapsed inoperative positions.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 418,435 Beese Dec. 31, 1889 786,737 Douglass et al. Apr. 4, 1905 1,267,896 Paalman May 28, 1918 1,603,845 Fritsch Oct. 19, 1926 1,828,248 Hallowell et al Oct. 20, 1931 2,623,642 Looney Dec. 30, 1952 2,835,503 Humphries et al. May 20, 1958 

